Mail-catcher.



W. H. WHITNEY.

MAIL CATCHER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5.19m.

1 ,21 9,61 1 a Patented Mar. 20, 1917.

INVENTOR WITNESSES Jg i am M293 BY ATTORNEY WILLIAM H. "WHITNEY, 0F GREE DTTOWI I, INDIANA.

MAIL-OATCHER.

Specification of Letters Iratent.

Patented Mar. 2t), 18 1*.

Application filed July 5, 1916. Serial No, 107 516.

To (all whom it may concern:

lie it known that 1, WILLIAM ll.lV.ii1'rNnY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at eentown, in the county of Howard and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and u eful linpro ments in Mail-Catchers, of wh oh the followi is a specification.

This invention relates to mail catchers, and more particularly to devices adapted to catch and retain bags of mail which are thrown from mail cars, or are suspended from the usual arm on the side of the car.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a device of the character stated of simple constriurtion and operation which will catch the mail bags and retain them without causing injury to the same. 'A further object is to so construct the device that will fold easily when the bag is thrown against it. Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front view of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section of the receiver in folded position taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

F 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

The receiver is composed of a frame formed in two rectan ular sections 1 and 2 which have their inner ends*pivotally connected as at 3, and which support a receiving net 4 secured to the frame sections. The lower frame section 2 has its end pivotally mounted in the eyes 5 of the angle eye bolts 6 secured through the spaced supporting posts 7 Near the top of the posts 7, in alinement with the bolts 6, there are secured short bolts 8, and lateral guide rods 9 are fixedly mounted on these bolts 8 and the bolts 6. The upper section 1 of the frame is loosely and slidably connected by rings 10 to the rods 9, these rings passing around the rod and the side arms of the frame section. At each corner the frame section 1 is provided with a fixedly secured loop 11 which is positioned to pass beneath a bow spring 12 secured near the upper end of the rod 9. These springs act to normally and releasably hold the upper frame section in its uppermost position thus holding the receiving net 1 in extended position.

Above bolts 8, bolts 13 are secured in the posts 7 and are provided on their inner ends with pulleys 14 grooved to receive lengths of rope 15, the lower ends of which are secured to the upper bar of section 1. By

grasping the free ends oft-he rope the up per section 1 may be returned to its initial position a ":ter it has been drawn down by the bag of mail thrown into the net.

The net 4t is of special construction being composed of an inner central rectangular part 1 and. an outer peripheral part 4 These two parts of the net are connected by interwoven wires 16 secured to the frame sections land 2 at their outer ends and to a plurality of rings 17 at their inner ends. In the particular construction shown there are thirty-six of these rings employed around the inner rectangular section of the net, and theserings are spaced eighteen on each side of the pivotal axis of the frame. This permits easy folding of the net, when required. The different sections of the peripheral. part 4- of the net 1 are connected by diagonal series of rings 18 through which the wires are secured. This diagonal construction at the corners also facilitates easy bending or folding of the net.

In using my device, the posts 7 are placed in suitable position adjacent the railway tracks and at such a height that the net 4 is in position to receive the bag of mail which. is thrown from the door of the mail car. ()bviously, the bag of mail may be sus pended from the usual arm mounted on the car, if desired. When the bag of mail strikes the center section a of the net the lower frame section 2 is forced inward and downward on its pivots, and the upper frame section is pulled free from the bow springs 12 and is forced backward, sliding down the guide rods 9 to which it is loosely connected by the rings 10. The rings 10 while not seriously interfering with the movement of the upper frame section, prevent its swinging freely backward, so that an effectual check is offered to the bag of mail. The two frame sections swing backward, as described,

and fold together, due to the downward movement of the upper section 1. This folding movement forms av retaining bag out of the receiving not 4 which, due to its resiliency, checks the mail bag without causing injury thereto and also retains it. To remove the bag it is only necessary to return the device to its operative position by means of the ropes 15, when the mail bag will drop upon the ground.

There may be slight changes made in the details of my construction, and I intend to include all such changes as fall within the appended claims in this application, in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What I claim, is:

1. In a mail bag receiver, the combination of a rectangular frame section pivotally mounted at its lower end, a second frame section having its inner ends pivotally secured to the inner ends or the first mentioned frame section and its upper end loosely and slidably mounted, a foldable receivirg' not secured on said sections, and releasable means for normally holding the upper frame section in raised position.

In a mail bag receiver, the combination of a frame section pivotally mounted at its lower end, fixedly mounted guide rods parallel with the sides of the said frame section, a second frame section having its inner ends pivotally connected to the inner ends of the first mentioned section, and its outer end loosely and slidably connected to the guide rods, a receiving net secured to said sections, and means releasably connected to the upper end of the said second frame section for normally holding the same in raised position.

3. In a mail bag receiver, the combination of a frame section pivotally mounted at its lower end, fixedly mounted guide rods parallel with the sides of the said frame section, a second frame section having its inner ends pivotally connected to the inner ends of the first mentioned section, and its outer end loosely and slidably connected to the guide rods, a receiving not secured to said sections,

means releasably connected to the upper end of the said second frame section for nor mally holding the same in raised position, and means for returning the receiver to operative position.

1-. In a mail bag receiver, the combination of two spaced supporting posts, guide rods fixedly mounted on said posts, a lower rectangular frame section pivotally mounted at its lower end between said posts, an upper frame section loosely and slidably connected a dj acent its upper end to the guide rods and pivotally connected at its inner ends to the inner ends of the lower section, bow springs secured to said rods, laterally projecting loops fixedly secured to the corners of the upper section and adapted to engage under said how springs, means for raising the upper frame section, and a foldable receiving screen carried by said frame section.

5. The combination of two pi\*ota-lly connected frame sections and a receiving screen mounted thereon, said screen having an inner rectangular part and a peripheral part connected by a plurality of rings and interwoven wires secnred through the same and to the frame sections, certain of said rings being located above, and the remainder below, the pivotal axis of the frame sections.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- WILLIAM H. WVHITNEY.

Witnesses:

NATHAN KENDALL, JOHN H. KENDALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

